By Nizam Ahmed

DHAKA, Jun 4 (Reuters) The head of Bangladesh's powerful anti-graft agency vowed on Monday to prosecute all politicians suspected of corruption, days after a dozen people were detained in a renewed crackdown by the army-backed interim administration.

''No one, irrespective of colour or creed, shall escape the hands of law,'' Hasan Mashhud said after a meeting of the Anti-Corruption Commission to review the drive to clean up politics ahead of elections expected by the end of next year.

The warning came after last week's arrests of a dozen key political figures including Abdul Jalil, general secretary of Awami League, one of the country's two largest parties targeted in the anti-graft hunt.

The other is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) headed by most recent prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, whose elder son and political heir Tareque Rahman, is among those detained on charges of graft, extortion and abuse of power.

More than 170 senior leaders of both parties have been arrested since the interim administration launched the drive after it took over in January, imposed emergency and called off elections set for later that month.

''Charges have already been framed against many of the politicians and prosecution will begin soon,'' an ACC official said.

Trial courts set up to deal with serious corruption cases are expected to complete prosecution within 60 days, law officials said.

Government adviser Anwarul Iqbal, a former inspector-general of police, said all trials would be completed before the election.

Lawyers said if convicted corrupt leaders could be jailed between two and five years or even more depending on the extent of the crime.

The convicted leaders will not be allowed to contest the election, an official of the Election Commission said.

REUTERS AE HT1715